Washington governor vetoes new off-road trails ban

Washington state Gov. Christine Gregoire line-item vetoed a measure that would have banned all construction of new trail or facilities for off-road motorized recreation for at least a year, the American Motorcyclist Association said in a press release April 2.

The measure, which had been inserted in the state budget in a last-minute maneuver without the opportunity for public debate, would have prohibited the state’s Department of Natural Resources from building or expanding trails or facilities for off-road recreational vehicles until July 2009. It was one of seven sections of the proposed capital budget that Gov. Gregoire vetoed.

“Gov. Gregoire recognized the unfairness of this measure, which would have cut off funding for off-road motorized recreation while continuing to collect taxes and fees from off-road vehicle users,” said Nick Haris, AMA Western states representative. “Gov. Gregoire heard from hundreds of concerned citizens who were unhappy about the way the Washington state legislature approved this ban in the dark of night, and she did the right thing by reversing it.”